


The Tide Mother's Baby

by EyesoftheDevilsWater



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Archaean, Baby Noctis Lucis Caelum, Baby Prompto Argentum, Bahamut (Final Fantasy XV) Being a Jerk, Character Death, Crowe Altius Lives, Depressed Noctis Lucis Caelum, Draconian, Emotional Hurt, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Episode Prompto Spoilers, Family Fluff, Fluff, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Fulgarian, Gentiana - Freeform, Good Ardyn Izunia, Healer Ardyn Izunia, Hurt, Hurt Noctis Lucis Caelum, Hurt/Comfort, Ifrit - Freeform, Inspired by Fanart, Inspired by The Shape of Water (2017), Leviathan - Freeform, Nyx Ulric Lives, Original Character(s), Out of Character, Poor Prompto Argentum, Prompto Argentum Needs a Hug, Prompto Argentum is a Ray of Sunshine, Protective Ardyn Izunia, Protective Noctis Lucis Caelum, Ramuh - Freeform, Shiva - Freeform, The Author Regrets Everything, The Author Regrets Nothing, The Six - Freeform, Tide Mother, Titan, Uncle Ardyn Izunia, pyreburner
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-07
Updated: 2020-06-06
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:02:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,114
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24581257
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EyesoftheDevilsWater/pseuds/EyesoftheDevilsWater
Summary: There was a story of how the Tide Mother had her own a baby, a demi-god and legitimate ray of sunshine. This is that story and what happened when the humans made a grave mistake.THIS STORY CONTAINS SENSITIVE AND UNCOMFY TOPICS AT TIMES, IF YOU ARE UNCOMFORTABLE WITH TOUCHY TOPICS LIKE IMPLIED INCEST OR CHILD ABUSE/DEATH, DO NOT READ AND DO NOT HARASS ME.
Kudos: 14





	1. The History of Us: The First Things to Know

**Author's Note:**

> This is a gift inspired by someone I admire and love, Izumi, they are an amazing artist and inspire me every day and just make me smile.
> 
> Also: This contains a lot of touchy stuff at times as stated in the summary.

_“And after the storm, I run and run as the rains come. And I look up, I look up, on my knees and out of luck, I look up. Night has always pushed up day. You must know life to see decay. But I won't rot, I won't rot, Not this mind and not this heart, I won't rot. And I took you by the hand, And we stood tall, And remembered our own land, What we lived for…_ ”

Prince Noctis Lucis Caelum glared at the crowd of reporters and camera crews as his Royal Retainer, Ignis Scientia, opened the door of the Regalia for him. He didn’t care for reporters or news in general to begin with, but he especially hated being caught on camera looking as destroyed as he did. His clothes were still soaked in blood, his skin itched where the blood made contact, his eyes were burning and puffy red, face streaked with tear tracks, and sweat causing his meticulously styled hair to go limp and tangle. They had fled the scene and come straight home, a grueling two day journey at top speed with everyone taking turns driving when they were on the road. Cid had helped them escape Altissia before the worst of the damage began, but the memory of the carnage he saw as they sped away from the once calm and pristine waters as his head screamed in pain in an attempt to convert the tongue of the Six into something understandable. He took a deep breath to clear his head as he looked up at the doors to the Citadel to see them open and guarded by the favorites of the King’s Glaive- the two most prominent being Nyx Ulric and Crowe Altius. Libertus was with them, but the world knew of his transgressions and that the only reason he hadn’t been exiled or slain was because of his heroic rescue of Lunafreya Nox Fleuret, the Princess of Tenebrae, who was standing with his concerned and enraged father, King Regis. 

“Prince Noctis!” He heard chorused over and over again as they tried to grab his attention. He shot each one a look that he hoped conveyed how much he wanted them to suddenly disappear into the void. 

“Is it true you were in Altissia when it happened?!”

“Why were you in Altissia?!”

“How did you escape the carnage in Altissia?!”

“Is it true the Tide Mother is the one that started the destruction of Altissia?!”

“What was the cause of the attack?!”

“SHUT UP!!!” Noctis bellowed, his head throbbing. “TURN OFF THE FUCKING CAMERAS AND LEAVE ME ALONE!!!”

When they continued to press him for information, his Shield, Gladiolus Amicitia, began forcing a path through and shouted, “YOU HEARD THE PRINCE, SHUT OFF YOUR GODDAMNED CAMERAS AND DISPERSE!”

“Gladiolus!” Ignis snapped, appalled at both of his companions. He was trying to be understanding after the tragedy Noctis had endured, but they were pushing the limits. Though he would admit, the brawny brunette had gotten results. “A little decorum, for Heaven’s sake!”

“Let’s just get inside, Iggy,” Gladiolus huffed, looking agitated but appropriately chastised as he continued forcing a path through.

After a minute or two, the reporters started hollering questions again, though there was a lack of cameras being pointed at them. As they started to reach the other side of the tumultuous sea of news people, Noctis spotted a petite, semi-battered (evidenced by the bruises and her slightly sunburned skin) and thoroughly distraught female journalist with a press badge shaking as she helped her companion put away their gear. As they neared, he caught bits and pieces of her barely shouting over the others to said companion something about fearing the worst when they returned. The woman looked ready to burst into tears at any moment, which made Noctis feel awful. She had to be new to her job or maybe she was just very sensitive, but either way, he felt compelled to throw her a lifeline. There was something about her that tugged at his heart the way… He still couldn’t think the name for fear of devolving back into the sorrow he had experienced just two short days ago- not that he was suddenly over and above his grief, just that he’d gone a bit numb if he was being honest. But her appearance just looked so much like the one they lost… She had dirty blonde hair cut into an asymmetrical bob that was still pale enough to count as a sunshine blonde since most of the dimmer color was confined to her roots, a chubby and short frame- not overweight by any stretch of the imagination but certainly not pencil thin that was complemented with her pink silk blouse and high-waisted navy trousers with stiff leather flats that looked to be giving her some wicked blisters if the inflamed flesh peeking out of them was any indication of her subtle suffering, and her makeup was very neutral. She certainly seemed like an amateur compared to the others who looked as if they spent 90 percent of their day in hair and makeup with the other ten percent likely dedicated to some perverse and thorough torture for information sessions while she was much quicker to give up. 

Noctis hadn’t realized he’d stopped until he felt Ignis bump into him from behind. He gestured for Ignis and Gladio to wait where they were for a moment and kneeled to pick up the notepad the female journalist he had been watching dropped. She looked terrified as she came face to face with him, holding her hands up and glancing behind him at Ignis and Gladio- both of whom looked ready to throw punches at the first sign of trouble. 

“Do you have a pen?” He called out just loud enough for her to hear. 

She glanced over her shoulders as if she thought he was talking to someone else around her before stammering, “W-what? A, uh, pe-pen?!”

“Yes! Do you have one?” Noctis pressed, looking at her in mild disbelief. Spiracorn in the headlights couldn’t cover just how out of sorts and out of place she looked as she fumbled to pull the pen from the v-shaped collar of her sleeveless blouse. “Thanks!”

He scribbled down a note for her to meet him in the royal gardens after sunset, instructions on how to get there and who to look for. He made sure to note that if she showed up with anyone other than her current companion and anything other than a notebook and pen and any necessary personal effects (like her purse or her press badge) then she would be turned away before she could even peer into the garden. He handed the notepad and pen back to her with a failed attempt at a smile.

“Thanks and be there tonight because you won’t get another chance,” Noctis warned her. “I’m not ripping open wounds or talking about this anymore once tonight is over. My life is not entertainment for the masses.”

“Understood, Prince- uh, your m-majesty!” She nodded passionately, keeping her eyes on him. As she attempted to hold his gaze while processing the precious gift he had given her, the tears came back as she sniffled. “My name’s Alissia Aldeen! I apologize for not introducing myself and thank you! Really, thank you so much!”

“Sure… Just make sure you follow that note exactly or you can forget about your career advancing,” Noctis dismissed, running a hand through his tangled black hair as he turned away.

He allowed Gladio and Ignis to sandwich him once more as they finally made it out of the crowd. He huffed a half-hearted laugh as he watched over his shoulder as Alissia and her companion fled for dear life as the other reporters attempted to nab the notepad from her. When they came to a halt at the top of the stairs, Noctis came face to face with his father. King Regis embraced him and gave him a rather rough squeeze.

“I’m glad you’re safe, but, to phrase it as your age group does, you are in deep shit now, Son,” Regis murmured before pulling away and allowing Lunafreya to approach as they made to enter the Citadel. 

“Yeah, so are you,” Noctis snapped, giving his father a judgmental glare, following everyone inside to the throne room. 

“Noct!” Lunafreya greeted, hugging him close with tears in her eyes. “I can’t believe you went out there! The Crystal is so spotty in what it shares… I thought the Tide Mother had slaughtered you!”

“I’m fine, Luna,” Noctis sighed, barely reciprocating the embrace. “We got out before she could do much more than start to emerge.” 

“I’m glad you’re back and safe,” Lunafreya responded as they stood in the throne room. “Honestly, you look like shit. I’ll go draw you a bath and we can talk if you’re up for it. I know you don’t like things done for you, but this is a special circumstance and I want to be there for you…”

“I know, Luna,” Noctis submitted, wiping her tears away. “A bath wouldn’t be the worst thing right now, if I’m being honest, so thanks.”

“Any time,” Lunafreya insisted, a smile starting to show through her worry. “I’ll head up to your bathroom and start setting up. Just come up when you’re ready.”

“I will,” Noctis promised, kissing her forehead and giving her a weak half-smile as she departed. 

“We’re going to check in with the other King’s Glaive,” Ignis spoke up, waiting for Noctis’ nod before he and Gladio parted from the young Prince’s side to join Nyx and Crowe. 

He looked over to his father with a look that could’ve killed. The betrayal was still cutting deep mentally and he wasn’t sure he could ever forgive his father’s actions. He caught Regis’ gaze and shook his head and departed towards the private manor linked to the Citadel by the thoroughly blocked off gardens that were enclosed in an elaborate greenhouse. King or not, his father was in the wrong and he’d be sure the man knew that the Six wouldn’t forgive or forget his part in what had been done. For now, all Noctis wanted was to enjoy the bath his betrothed was so lovingly setting up for him and sleep for a week in hopes that he might be able to escape his grief for some time. He sighed as he looked to the sky to see the sun already tellingly low, which meant he’d only have time for a quick nap, if that, before he had to meet Alissia in the gardens. As he made it to the center of the garden he saw his father’s most prized plants. Those plants, large weeping willow with sylle blossoms surrounding its trunk and roots were taken from his mother’s homeland- by force as was later revealed. His father had wanted them for their garden to make her feel less homesick but he went about it all wrong and it took years for her to forgive him for the damage and pain he caused in obtaining them. The issue was that the tree and blossoms had been planted by Aera, the lost Oracle, and they were sacred, meant to be kept where they were rooted for it also marked her burial site. _He_ , the one the Prince couldn’t bear to name for fear of the pain it would bring to his fresh wounds, had taught Noctis so many things and the very first lesson was there was a respectful and acceptable way to handle and interact with the world and then there was the humans’ way, which was more than frowned upon to say the least. The young Prince could practically smell the blossoms that had been so delicately picked after a prayer of thanks was sent to the Six for their existence and the chance to use them and make them into the crowns that had been placed on their heads as they sat in the moonlight, admiring the nocturnal blossoms and one another. Noctis tightened his fist, his jaw clenched, but kept walking towards the manor.

_“And there will come a time, you'll see, with no more tears. And love will not break your heart, but dismiss your fears. Get over your hill and see what you find there, With grace in your heart and flowers in your hair. And now I cling to what I knew, I saw exactly what was true, But oh no more. That's why I hold, That's why I hold with all I have. That's why I hold…”_

  
  


Once inside, he saw his delirious Uncle walking with one of the staff members. Noctis felt a smile tugging at his lips as Uncle Ardyn brightened at the very sight of his nephew. Uncle Ardyn, more publicly known as Adagium, had been cursed by Bahamut, the Draconian, nearly 2,000 years ago. He had tried to be a healer to spare his fiancee, Aera, from the Star Scourge since she had been pregnant with their child at the time and the God punished him with immortality that could only be taken away when the requirements were met, which was nearly impossible since his Uncle was supposed to figure those out in addition to completing them. Uncle Ardyn’s brother, Somnus, was given rights to the throne and the brothers nearly battled to the death after Somnus had claimed it was the will of the Six for Aera to be slain as punishment for her failures- pregnancy or no pregnancy. Uncle Ardyn was locked away in Angelgard, a prison watched by Ramuh the Fulgarian, for two generations before Somnus’ great grandchild had mercy and took him in. Ever since then, Noctis’ favorite (and only, for a curse was placed on the Lucis Caelum line to prevent more than one child each generation as punishment for the brothers’ feud) Uncle had been living in the manor.

“Noctis? Noctis, is that you?” Ardyn smiled warmly as he shakily approached, waving the female staff member away as she worriedly hovered over him. Noctis nodded to let her know it was fine and she hesitantly departed. He must’ve taken his medications a little while ago. The Oracles had explained that he more or less suffered a type of schizophrenia after absorbing the Star Scourge two millennia ago so he was given the appropriate medication to help him live more normally than he otherwise would. “Where did you go, Noctis?”

“Hi, Uncle Arry,” Noctis softly greeted as he buried himself in his Uncle’s embrace. Thanks to his Uncle’s immortality he was forever stuck in his late twenties to early thirties, his body frozen in time and incapable of aging which was good since a declining body would be torture to live through eternity in. “I’m sorry I left. It must’ve been awful being stuck here with my father…”

“Your father is a butt,” Ardyn chuckled, grinning as Noctis chuckled. “Nonetheless, I’ve lived through worse. Did I tell you about the Star Scourge, Tissie?”

“Yeah, but I’d like to hear it again, Uncle Arry,” Noctis replied, allowing his uncle to take his hand as they headed upstairs. “You could tell me while I wash up.”

“May I help?” Ardyn requested, a childishly innocent and hopeful look on his face.

“That sounds nice,” Noctis hummed in agreement. “Do you think Aunt Aera will come see us this Halloween?”

“I don’t know, Tissie,” Ardyn frowned, his heart heavy. Noctis wasn’t a huge fan of the nickname, but it was hard to tell his soft, kind-hearted Uncle no to most things, especially something so trivial as a silly pet name. “We’ll have to travel to Tenebrae, to the ruins and see if we can find her spirit guide. That dragon-thing is a link to her spirit, you know. She has a mighty temper.”

“Her name is Mictlantecihuatl, remember, Uncle Arry?” Noctis reminded him as they continued down the hallway.

“Ah yes, it’s quite the mouthful,” Ardyn chuckled, little smile lines appearing at the corners of his eyes, though most people called it crow’s feet but Noctis only ever saw them when his uncle smiled so they were smile lines. “Your Aunt Aera was as thick as thieves with her. That old spirit bonded with her when she was little and would so politely ask her to summon the fallen famous people of our day, who were mostly doctors and high priests back then. The Six were mighty unimpressed with your Aunt’s shenanigans.”

“I believe it,” Noctes smirked, imagining a little blonde girl and her dragon-esque spirit friend doing a supernatural prank call to get the gossip from the big names of ancient times. 

_“And I won't die alone and be left there. Well I guess I'll just go home, Oh God knows where. Because death is just so full and man so small. Well I'm scared of what's behind and what's before…”_

They made their way into the bathroom to find that Lunafreya had just finished drawing the bath. She had certainly gone all out to make a relaxing atmosphere with relaxation candles, dim lighting, fresh herbs and flowers decorating the bathroom in little bunches and sprinkled in different areas, and a pastel blue and green bath bomb waiting on the edge of the tub that was already giving off the smell of eucalyptus and soft flowers like jasmine and apple and pear blossoms.

“If you need anything at all, please let me know,” Lunafreya requested as she hugged him once more. “I’ve been summoned to call my brother back. I’m sure it won’t take long.”

“Oh, Little Luna, you’re back!” Ardyn softly cheered, taking a turn to give her a hug as she and Noctis separated. “It is good to see you.”

“I was only gone for the day,” Lunafreya giggled, smiling up at him as they parted. “But it is always good to see you, Uncle Ardyn.”

“I’m sure I’ll be fine for awhile, Luna,” Noctis assured her as she hesitated in the doorway. “Uncle Arry is keeping me company.”

“I know, but you’ll never stop me from worrying for you,” Lunafreya smiled. “It’s who I am and it’s in my blood. It’s how you know I still care.”

With that, Lunafreya departed and Uncle Ardyn began his story of the rise of Lucis and the Lucis Caelums as he helped his nephew undress and relax into the perfectly steamy, hot bathwater. Just as he relaxed and carelessly dropped the bath bomb into the water, he felt out of sorts. His head felt light and disconnected with his body. As he looked to the water, he realized it was changing to the same crystal blues and greens of the Altissian waters. His chest felt weighted down and it seemed like he could never quite catch his breath- this must be another panic attack… 

“Don't let me darken your door, That's not what I came here for. No it's not what I came here for. And I won't hear you cry when I'm gone. I won't know if I'm doing you wrong. I never know if I'm doing you wrong,” Ardyn sang in a soft, slightly raspy bass as he dipped his fingers in the water and drew symbols onto his nephew’s exposed skin. He knew the terror of a sudden panic attack and he was no fool, his nephew was hurting and it ran deep. “A constant reminder of where I can find her, A light that might give up the way Is all that I'm asking for, without her I'm lost, But my love, don't fade away… So I watched the world tear us apart, A stoic mind and a bleeding heart. You never see my bleeding heart. And your light's always shining on. And I've been traveling oh so long. I've been traveling oh so long… A constant reminder of where I can find her, Light that might give up the way Is all that I'm asking for without her I'm lost. Oh my love don't fade away! Oh my love don't fade away…”

Noctis was slowly pulled from his panic attack by his uncle’s gentle touches and soft singing. This wasn’t the first time Uncle Ardyn had sung that bittersweet melody. He had forgotten how the melody came to him and so had the world, though the only association the song had was Uncle Ardyn’s travels and the rare moment of vulnerability that the people saw in him when he would cry for his distant beloved who he insisted stay home as much as possible and rest. Some say that he had written it following her death during his time in Angelgard when the only company he had were the distant echoes of rain and living things coming to Ramuh’s wrathful domain to die. 

“Sweet boy, something happened while you were away,” Ardyn noted, taking careful and gentle handfuls of water to dampen his nephew’s filthy hair. “Do not keep your suffering to yourself. I will lighten your load. In hard times, I am always here, no matter how trivial or important. After all, what else am I here for? What else is there for an old fool like me?”

Noctis curled into the fetal position in the water bringing his damp hands up to his face and let the soft sobs uncurl from deep within him. He had never had this with his father since the accident that nearly permanently crippled him. Something hardened in both of them that day and Noctis found that he was only comfortable being truly vulnerable with his uncle. His uncle knew true heartache, pain, rage, numbness, and happiness. The man had lived through everything and he was still here making jokes and telling stories, bringing relief from life’s burdens with every kind word and gentle affection. 

“Your heart is heavy with loss and pain,” Ardyn commented,pulling his nephew into his embrace as best he could while sitting just outside the tub. He felt the boy’s ironclad grip clinging to him like a lifeline. “Who did you lose, Little One? Who has shown you the love and wonder of the immortal only to leave you behind?”

“I loved him, Uncle!” Noctis mourned, barely able to breathe as his throat threatened to close up and his nose clogged with snot despite how much of it was pouring from his nose while tears ran rampant down his face. “Why?! Why did they have to do that?! Why him?!”

“I cannot explain what I don’t understand, Little One,” Ardyn admitted, kissing the boy’s temple and stroking his damp, dirty hair. “You’ll have to fill in the details so that I can attempt to help you understand the workings of this world.”

“I’m not ready- I can’t!” Noctis cried out. “It hurts, Uncle! It hurts so bad!”

“I know, Little One,” Ardyn soothed. “It always hurts the most when you lose the one you were destined to love. The soul cannot be complete without the one it was made to love.”

Noctis froze. Was that really why it hurt so bad? Was _he_ the one Noctis was meant to be with? 

“As they say, parting is such sweet sorrow,” Ardyn continued, choosing to let the truth settle over his nephew. “But there will come a time when you two will meet again. You are the first of our line to find completion outside of the Oracles. You do cherish our Little Luna, but, my Moonbeam, she is not the soul that completes your own.”

“H-how do you know?” Noctis sniffled, swallowing hard. 

“You forget what I was once blessed to do,” Ardyn sadly smiled. “It was my job to ease the burdens and pains of others and in doing so I was able to read their souls and minds, to experience a portion of what they had. I can read you just the same. There is nothing wrong with loving someone who was not chosen for you. Truth be told, Aera was not chosen for me but for Somnus, but our souls sang a song that they could only sing with each other. We fell in love before we even knew what love was. That is what it is like to be with the one that completes you.”

“But he was… well, a he,” Noctis worried, his face burning in shame as he looked to his uncle. “Isn’t that wrong?”

“No, Moonbeam, for the Six would have struck me down long ago if that was true,” Ardyn dismissed. “In my day, it wasn’t common but it wasn’t frowned upon to be a man and love a man in that way. And I’ll tell you a secret that is to stay between us, understood?”

“Yes, Uncle,” Noctis sniffed, nestling closer to his uncle as his tense muscles relaxed.

“In my day, there were no wrong answers when it came to love. Sometimes, it was kept within a family,” Ardyn explained, returning to his soothing touches. “Cousins would marry and make families together, even less… distant relatives would marry and create happy little families. Your oh so great grandfather, Somnus, and I were once in love before the throne became an option. We’d not realized the detriment of the lack of diversity in genetics at the time and there was no shame. Those two factors are the only reason it's frowned upon today.”

“What?! You and Grandpa Somnus?!” Noctis questioned, thinking he must have heard wrong.

“That’s right. Though, it was over two thousand years ago and things have changed so much,” Ardyn murmured, his voice going softer as he stared off into the distance, his mind returning to the past. He never thought he’d long to be in his brother’s arms once more. It was a shame the promise of the kingdom had turned Somnus cold and distant. 

“Uncle Arry…?” Noctis hesitated, looking up at the vacant expression on his uncle’s face.

“Hmmm?” Ardyn hummed, still not fully there as he met his nephew’s gaze.

“Is it true that he was my soul mate?” Noctis asked, a tired and concerned look on his youthful face. 

“I do believe so, Moonbeam and for that I am ever so sorry,” Ardyn apologized with a grim smile. “I am only sorry that he is gone, but I am not sorry that he was your soul mate, man or not.”

“He… He wasn’t a man per se,” Noctis confessed with a flush. “He wasn’t entirely human… He was a hybrid of sorts, I guess…”

“May I see?” Ardyn requested, freeing his nephew from his embrace to have his hands at the ready.

“Mhmm,” Noctis submitted, shifting in the tub to face his uncle and guide the immortal’s hands to his face. It didn’t take long for his uncle to pull the images and knowledge he sought from the teen’s mind.

“No… They didn’t…” Ardyn gasped as he yanked his hands away and tipped backwards, catching himself on his hands as he fell. He stared to the ceiling in anguish and fear, breathing picking up. “Oh no, no, no, no… Oh, Aera, my beloved, please tell me they didn’t do what I think they did…”

“Uncle Arry?! What is it?” Noctis pleaded, desperate to know what his uncle meant. Uncle Ardyn had never met the hybrid before so it wasn’t like they were soulmates… Besides, Uncle Ardyn’s soulmate was Aunt Aera and as far as anyone who believed in all that knew, you only had one per lifetime.

“Your beloved was a demi-god, Moonbeam,” Ardyn breathed. “We are all doomed. The Six will not stand for their young being slaughtered. They barely tolerate us humans treating each other the way we do and now some of us have made the grave mistake of murdering their child. The Tide Mother is the least forgiving and the Draconian the most bloodthirsty. The Glacean and the Infernian are the most sympathetic, but this demi-god was beloved by all of the Six. We may very well end up just the same as Solheim… Eos will be eradicated.”

  
 _“And there will come a time, you'll see, with no more tears. And love will not break your heart, but dismiss your fears. Get over your hill and see what you find there, With grace in your heart and flowers in your hair. And there will come a time, you'll see, with no more tears. And love will not break your heart, but dismiss your fears. Get over your hill and see what you find there, With grace in your heart and flowers in your hair…_ ”- Mumford & Sons, “After the Storm”


	2. The History of Us: How We Met

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song Ardyn sings in the previous chapter is "Reminder" by Mumford and Sons

_ “ _ _ One more day we'll spend together. Lay your eyes, look up upon me for the better. Oh, I know I'm worse for weather, But my love, I won't give up. Spend my days cursing my soul, Wishing I could paint my scars and make me whole. Oh, I know I could be better, But my love, I won't give up. I ain't no superman, I ain't no holy ghost. I'm just the one that keeps you up and that you love the most. I'll be your strong man, I'll be your West Coast. I'll be the sun, I'll be the waves, I'll be the one you love the most. Ooh, hey, hey, hey, oh, I'll be, I'll be, I'll be, I'll be, I'll be your West Coast, honey! Ooh, hey, hey, hey, oh, I'll be, I'll be, I'll be, I'll be, I'll be your West Coast, honey! Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh…” _

**_18 and a half years ago:_ **

King Regis and Queen Galiana shared a look of pure relief and bliss as they sat by the water near the docks with their one and a half year old son, Noctis, on a soft and worn blanket. It was nice that they finally found time to return to Altissia for something other than politics or the Six. They had paid handsomely to reserve some quiet time on a sizable but still small island outside of the peculiar cultural center. They loved the city, but there was nothing like being able to let Noctis crawl around in the grass and experience nature out in the real world instead of just the royal gardens that were enclosed in a greenhouse. 

“Look, Lia,” Regis whispered, pointing to a branch in the tree above them where a beautiful gold and black bird was preening itself. “Isn’t he magnificent?”

“He’s very handsome, Regis,” Galiana hummed before turning her attention back to their son. “Noct, sweetie, where are you off to?”

The baby boy turned to his mother and giggled, running his hands through the grass before crawling towards a tiny purple flower a couple steps away from the blanket.

“Not too far, sweetie!” Galiana reminded him, shifting her weight as a small bubble of nervousness welled up inside her. 

“Come now, Lia, he’s a smart boy,” Regis gently admonished. “He’s just exploring and we both know he’s too anxious to stray too far from us.”

“I know, I know,” Galiana sighed. “I just… I don’t want him getting too adventurous and getting hurt. He’s very sensitive!”

“Because you baby him all the time, my dear,” Regis pointed out.

“He is a baby!” Galiana argued, looking to her husband in disbelief.

“He’s a toddler and about to be a young boy in no time and you need to accept that,” Regis insisted, munching on a grape from the dish beside them.

Noctis looked back to his parents in triumph as he proudly held up the little purple flower he had plucked from the ground. When he realized they weren’t paying attention, he allowed himself to pout (quite adorably) for a moment before he heard something in the water. 

“Aaahh eh?” Noctis cooed, turning his upper half towards the water.

Looking about he didn’t see anything that would make the splashy noise that he was used to hearing when Mommy and Daddy gave him a bath at night. Pouting once more, he shifted onto his knees and hands before pushing himself to stand. He much preferred crawling, but he just had to know what was in the water and even as wobbly as he was, he was still faster toddling along than crawling. He took it in a few short steps at time, pausing in between his tiny bursts of speed to look back at Mommy and Daddy. They weren’t saying ‘no-no, Noctis’ so he figured he was allowed to keep going. There was a big old tree at the water’s edge that loomed over him and blocked his sensitive skin from the harsh and hot sun with roots that seemed to reach out into the sparkly water. Mommy had said trees don’t move so he ruled that out and kept looking. He paused a few steps back from the water and huffed, looking down at his hands to see his little flower all smushed. He whined and tossed the flower away, his pout intensifying. Not only did he not find the mystery noise, but he also smushed his pretty flower. He felt the tears coming as he looked back up at the water’s edge which was separated from him in the grass by a few short inches of soft looking sand. In that sand, he saw something kind of sparkly and something else that was a very pretty pink and white color.

“Sss… s’ell!” Noctis babbled as he toddled forward a few steps. 

Suddenly he was on the ground and his bare little feet and barely scraped up little hands and knees hurt bad, bad, bad! He had fallen to his hands and knees after his tiny feet caught on a tree root near the edge of the grass. He was starting to work up to a spectacular fit, already building a pain-filled whine that slipped out of his mouth when he saw a shadow in the water. He grunted and whined softly, desperately wanting to know what that humongous shadow could possibly be when he heard the splashy sound again! He saw the tail end of something going back into the water not too far from where he had fallen into the sand. Frustrated and still hurting from his brand new ‘ouchies’, Noctis whined even louder with a few tears rolling down his cheek. That’s when he saw something peek out of the water at him for a split second from under the dock. He looked back at Mommy and Daddy (who were still arguing over something he didn’t understand and even louder than before) as he rocked back onto his diapered tush. He huffed and whined as he turned back around. More tears fell as he realized that looking away made him lose the little creature and indulged himself in a couple soft sobs of frustration. 

As he looked back to where the shells should be, he saw the creature that had been watching him back. It… looked like a baby like him! Except… this baby had a tail, weird skin, funny looking ears, weird stripe-y thingies on his sides and a fishy thingy on his back. The peculiar baby was laying on its tummy watching Noctis as he quietly cried to himself. The odd baby had pretty blonde hair that looked like Auntie’s and lots of little bluish, greenish spots. It cooed at him and Noctis found himself wanting to get closer so he got back on his hands and knees and crawled until there was barely any space between them and flopped onto his tush once again. The peculiar baby fish, as Noctis decided to call it, was mostly in the water whenever the water sloshed all the way up into the sand, but the parts of it that were mostly human were on land. It tilted its head at him and trilled. Noctis huffed in confusion as his little brows scrunched together and his mouth turned to a frown as he sniffled. What did the sound mean? Noctis watched the baby fish’s hand with its ‘sticky fingers’ (they were webbed but the closest similar memory Noctis had was syrup all over his hands) touch his feet. Noctis was ready to start kicking until he felt a tickling sensation that made him giggle as he watched the baby fish seem to glow. He cooed in delight and clumsily clapped his hands as he saw his owies were gone from his feet and then the baby fish did it to his knees too! Just as the baby fish reached for his hands, it panicked and retreated to the water as his Mommy called to him. He turned around to see her quickly walking towards him. He whined and turned back around to see that the baby fish was long gone. Noctis whined and smacked the sand away in his upset as the tears came back. He finally got to see the baby fish and Mommy scared it away!

“Sweetheart! What are you doing all the way down here?!” Galiana questioned as she picked him up. “Oh, sweetie, what’s the matter?”

Noctis couldn’t answer as he was just too overwhelmed with all the feelings running around in his little head. He was sad that the baby fish was gone, mad that Mommy scared it away, frustrated that she was taking him away from the baby fish as they walked back to the blanket with Daddy, and upset that his hands still hurt from his fall. It was just too much! So he let Mommy know how overwhelmed he was by wailing his despair the whole walk back to the blanket. Every time Mommy tried to offer him comfort, Noctis pushed against her chest or flung whatever comfort item she offered away from him. As much as he loved Mommy (Daddy was right when he said Noctis was a Mommy’s boy), he didn’t want Mommy! He wanted baby fish!

“What happened, Lia?” Regis questioned, rubbing his son’s back as he looked to her with knitted brows and a disapproving frown.

“I don’t know, Regis. He just started crying like that time Gladiolus tried to tease him with that stupid ‘got your nose’ trick,” Galiana sighed, her frustration starting to show through. “Maybe I should go get Crowe or Nyx… They always seem to piece it together when we can’t…”

“Why don’t I take him while you grab them then?” Regis submitted, recognizing the anxiety that was hovering at the edge of her frustration. 

Galiana passed Noctis over to her husband and took her leave. Just like with Mommy, Noctis made sure to let Daddy know that he wasn’t wanted now either. He didn’t have the energy to continue at the same volume as before, but he didn’t stop crying either. Finally, Daddy gave up and let him sit by himself on the blanket. Noctis kept looking between the places he had seen baby fish, hoping that the combination of his cries and Mommy and Daddy being away from the water would summon it back since that’s how it was when baby fish showed up. Alas, baby fish didn’t come back but Mommy did and she brought Nana Crowe with her. Noctis reached for her with his classic grabby hands and finally allowed himself to settle as she rocked him.

“I’m gonna walk him down to the water’s edge,” Crowe announced, figuring that the upset started because he was taken from his little spot on the beach. “If that’s alright with you, Your Majesty?”

“Alright, but he needs to be held or in your grasp the whole time,” Galiana hesitantly consented as her husband gave her the look that he usually did when she seemed overbearing.

“Mind if I tag along?” Nyx spoke up as he joined the little group by the blanket. “Cor and Libertus are watching inland.”

“Sure, he always adores you,” Crowe chuckled, starting her trekk down to the water’s edge. “He didn’t start crying until the Queen retrieved him and he wanted nothing to do with the King or Queen. Go.”

“Well, you probably already thought of this, but he probably didn’t want to be relocated,” Nyx brainstormed, stepping over the root that had taken Noctis down earlier. “He probably wanted to play in the sand and didn’t know how to tell them what he wanted. When they didn’t put him back where he wanted to be, he threw a fit.”

“That sounds the most likely,” Crowe agreed,taking a seat in the sand with Noctis cradled in her lap.

“Fissie…” Noctis sniffled, sticking his thumb in his mouth as he turned his head to watch the water.

“What was that, Munchkin?” Nyx prompted as he scooted closer to Crowe.

“Bebe fissie…” Noctis babbled, looking up at Nana, who was smiling down at him.

“Did you see a little fishie in the water earlier?” Crowe guessed, her tone soft and warm as she ran a delicate yet strong hand through his hair.

“Nu… bebe…” Noctis corrected, looking to his Papa Nyx as if he should know what the almost two year old was trying to say.

“You saw a baby?” Nyx clarified. “In the water?”

Noctis nodded and smiled, nestling closer to Nana as he continued to suck his thumb for that added bit of comfort.

“You don’t think…” Crowe hesitated, looking over to Nyx with the unspoken question in the air.

“Well, the Queen said this is where he was sitting, but I don’t-” Nyx cut himself off as he saw some bluish, greenish things shimmering in the sand. He reached out and picked up the shining, delicate scales. As he turned them over in his hand, he noticed Noctis perking up. “Did you see these earlier, Munchkin?”

“Bebe fissie!” Noctis giggled, taking his thumb out long enough to clap in celebration that he still had something to remember baby fish bye-bye.

“I didn’t know it could come on land, did you?” Crowe spoke up, looking between Noctis and Nyx as the baby tried to grab for the scales. Nyx shook his head, gently closing his hand around the scales to keep Noctis from grabbing them. “They look awfully tiny… Do you really think it could be a baby like Noct is saying?”

“Yeah, actually I do,” Nyx answered, allowing Noctis to grab his closed fist. “Didn’t you hear the story of how it came to be out here?”

“No, what story?” Crowe prompted, adjusting Noctis so he was sitting up more. 

“A couple years back, that mad scientist in Niflheim was experimenting with cloning,” Nyx elaborated, looking out towards the water as he tried to recall some of the detail. “The Emperor demanded an army to start his recreation of Solheim, but they couldn’t scrape together enough men in fighting condition that weren’t needed for making weapons or guarding Niflheim itself. So the Royal Scientist tried cloning himself since he considered himself the perfect specimen. He did maybe two trials on animals before he claimed he perfected cloning and began taking samples of himself. Almost all of them failed during the first trimester. But there was one that made it a full nine months, the normal gestation before the tank it was kept in malfunctioned. Supposedly, the baby didn’t make it past the first couple of days. Some say that the mad man killed it because it wasn’t supposed to be released so soon since he intended to keep his clones in the tanks until they were equivalent to a young adult but with blank slates for minds. Some say that cloning is just doomed to fail and that the baby never would’ve lived a full life either way. No matter the reason for the death, the baby was dead and there was no coming back from that. That’s where the story of the Tide Mother’s baby comes from. Some say that the Royal Scientist tried to feed the failed experiment to the Tide Mother to erase any evidence of his failure, but instead she breathed life into it and it morphed into what we now know of as the Altissian’s romanticized Nagas, called mermaids.”

  
“I know she’s a Goddess and all, but there’s no way that’s true,” Crowe dismissed, bouncing Noctis as he fussed in frustration. “Is Nyx picking on you, baby?”

Noctis pouted up at her and whined, fisting a hand in her shirt and pointing to his Papa. 

“I promise you can have them, Bud, but I gotta wash them up first or your Mommy and Daddy will throw them away,” Nyx assured the fussy boy in his friend’s lap. “Can you let Papa clean them up first?”

“Crowe, Nyx, the boat’s here to take us back to Altissia!” Libertus called as he cleaned up the picnic area while Cor escorted the King and Queen to the boat waiting at the dock. 

“Nu!” Noctis cried as Nana got to her feet and started walking away from the shore.

“Babes, we have to go bye-bye for a bit,” Crowe soothed, bouncing him in her arms as she walked. “I promise that even if Mommy and Daddy don’t wanna come back, Papa and I will bring you back to see your friend, okay?”

“I promise too, Moonbeam,” Nyx reassured the toddler, rubbing his tiny back with his free hand. “But you gotta be a good boy. You gotta listen to us and Mommy and Daddy.”

“Otay…” Noctis sniffled, laying his head down on Nana’s shoulder as they caught up with Mommy and Daddy.

“He seems calmer,” Galiana commented as she extended her arms to take Noctis back.

“Nu! Nu! Nana!” Noctis cried as he felt Mommy trying to take him. 

“He’s kinda mad at you two, Your Majesty,” Nyx supplied at the Queen’s look of confusion and hurt. “He said he saw the Tide Mother’s baby and it seems like you might have scared it off when you went to get Prince Noctis, which is what upset him.”

“I will never understand how you two figure these things out but I appreciate you filling in the blanks,” Galiana sighed, wrapping her arms around herself as she boarded the boat with them. “Though I highly doubt that old gossip piece is true. No one’s ever seen Her baby…”

“What’s wrong, my darling?” Regis inquired as he noticed her dejected posture.

“Noctis is still mad at us,” Galiana murmured, frowning as she let her husband wrap her in a thorough embrace.

“Well, maybe we can bring him back next year as our apology,” Regis suggested, watching his son perk up in his Nana’s arms. “Does my little Prince want to come back?”

“Daddee!” Noctis pleaded, reaching out for his Daddy like his life depended on being held by the man.

“That was easier than I thought,” Regis chuckled, taking his son in his arms and kissing the baby’s cheek. “I’m glad you forgive me. What about Mama, hmm? Is she forgiven?”

“Wuv…” Noctis shyly responded as he grabbed his Mommy’s offered hand.

“I love you too, my little Moonflower,” Galiana smiled, kissing his tiny hand. “Mama promises that we’ll come back to visit.”

And just like that, the Royal Family had made a tradition to return to Argentum Isle every year in the late spring. Every year, Noctis would go to the shoreline alone and wait for the Tide Mother’s baby. Until the fateful day when the King of Lucis finally laid eyes on the Naga hybrid.

_ “ _ _ I'd change my ways if you would stay. And all your tears that you have cried will go away. Oh, just grant me one more day. Oh, my love, please don't give up. See the devil at my door. I see the future of the ones that I've ignored. I guess I was born to be at war, But my love, I won't give up. So, my love, please don't give up. I ain't no superman, I ain't no holy ghost, I'm just the one that keeps you up and that you love the most. I'll be your strong man, I'll be your West Coast. I'll be the sun, I'll be the waves, I'll be the one you love the most, Ooh, hey, hey, hey, oh, I'll be, I'll be, I'll be, I'll be, I'll be your West Coast, honey! Ooh, hey, hey, hey, oh, I'll be, I'll be, I'll be, I'll be, I'll be your West Coast, honey! Ooh, hey, hey, hey (gonna be, gonna be), I'll be, I'll be, I'll be, I'll be, I'll be your West Coast, honey (I get that feeling)! Ooh, hey, hey, hey (gonna be, gonna be), I'll be, I'll be, I'll be, I'll be, I'll be your West Coast, honey (I get that feeling)!” _ \- Imagine Dragons, “West Coast”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See what I did there? I couldn't resist.


End file.
